Treatment apparatus for static or dynamic treatment of the spinal column



V. CHRISTENSEN TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR STATIC OR DYNAMIC TREATMENT OF THE SPINAL COLUMN Filed Oct. 25, 1954 Jan. 10, 1961 $453 llvwvrk /lnnmlfi/ 2 H 2 .flu ..J i 2 M a F H m & wmm 2 2 FIG 3 IN V5 N T 0/? lrrner Chr/sfensen ATTORNEYS United States Patent TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR STATIC 0R DYNAMIC TREATMENT OF THE SPINAL COLUMN static or: dynamic treatment of the spinal column for supporting or producing the lordosis normal forfthe spinal column. The apparatus can also be used in connection with functional radiological examination of the, I

spinal column.

It may be convenient that the outer dimensions of a treatment apparatus can be varied during the treatment of a patient.

Up to now when support was desirable, wrapped-up.

blankets, pillows or the like were used. The degree of the support would naturally be of a fortuitous character and changing it would often be a most painful'fand even dangerous affair to a patient suffering from acute pain in the spine. was found that brought relief and it was deemed of advantage to make a slight increase, the mere changing would-often ruin what was already obtained.

. It is an object of the present invention to remedy the above mentioned drawbacks, and to provide a treatment apparatus possessing a number of further advantages. The treatment apparatus according to the invention is substantially characterized in that it comprises in part. an inflatable bladder consisting of air-tight material and provided with air supply means, in part a cover consisting When by such a procedure, a support.

3 paratus according to the invention the valve for the re lease of the air is formed by a cylindrical tube of a rigid material, inside which a rubber tube is provided so as to cover a hole in the outer tube, in whichan opening member is provided which can'bring the rubber tube out of contact with the inner wall of the outer tube, so that the-air can escape. The manner of functioning of the valve is the reverse of that of. a valve for an inner tube of a' bicycle.

Further it 'is an object of the invention, to provide a ball valve in which a ball is in a way known per se held pressed against a seat by the elevated pressure in the bladder.- The valve may be provided with an operation 15. The invention relates to a treatment apparatus for 'memben by which the ball can be raised from its seat 'sio that the air can escape.

It is not necessary that air is supplied from the outside and therefore it is still further an object of the inven- 'f tion toarrange theapparatus so the the bladder is by i with the hands or the feet and which together with the a tube connection in communication with another deflatable air container, e.g. a bellows, which can be actuated bladder-and thecommunication tube forms a closed system. By this design it becomes possible to let the whole of the upper part of the body and the arms remain completely relaxed duringthe treatment to which the patient can 'subject himself merely by moving his feet. When the closed system is used the regulation of the diameter of the treatment'apparatus can be effected in a particularly' simple way, amovement of the bellows in cinejdirection entailing a decrease of the diameter and a moveof non-resilient or non-extensible material, ,whichcover' can be so adjusted that when the bladderis inflated it forms cylindrical bodies of different diameters. This apparatus offers the advantage that it can be used-for' static as well as for dynamic treatment of the spinal column non-resilient material as cover ensuresthat the apparatus can be given a definite maximumdiametertheyield ableness being afterwards. regulated-bythe degree of. airfilling irrespective of the diameter.

The bladder. can by a tube in a; similar way as'a football bladder be in direetcommunication with the outer air and be closed .bybending, but it is an object of the invention to provide .the air supply means comprising a supply tube with a valve permitting air to be blown in, but preventing air from unintentionally escaping from the bladder. Measures of this kind are known per se, for example from inner tubes of bicycles. The valve is, however, expediently according to the invention arranged for being easily opened manually, so that air can escape from the bladder.

To release the air from the bladderthere may according to the invention be provided a special valve, so that the two valves operate independently of each other. This may be of importance when the treatment apparatus is to be used for the dynamic treatment of the spinal column without the patientbeing moved.

In an especially advantageous embodiment of the ap' ment of'the bellows in the opposite direction an increase of the diameter within the limit given by the non-resilient cover. 1

In a simple and practical embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention the cover is formed by a piece of substantially non-resilient fabric, for example stiff linen, which can be made to lie as a cylinder around the bladder and which at the mutually adjacent rims is provided with tightening means which may be formed by cord holes with cords passing through them, or by buckles along one rim and straps along'the other rim, or maybe by t'ape along both rims.

It is also an object of the invention to combine the mechanical treatment of the spinal column by a heat treatment, and with a view to this there may according to the invention in combination with the cover be profvided a heating element, for example consisting ofelec- "tric resistance wires woven into the cover.

The regulation of the temperature may-be effected in the usual way by means of a regulation resistance or a regulation transformer, if necessary controlled by a thermostat.

Further objects and advantages will be explained with reference to the drawing, where Fig. 1 shows a deflated bladder for an apparatus according to the invention,

Fig. 2 a cover for the bladder in Fig. 1, but on a smaller scale,

Fig. 3 an example of a pumping device for use in connection with the treatment apparatus according to the invention and shown in section, and

Fig. 4 a special embodiment of a ball valve for use in connection with the apparatus according to the invention, shown on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a bladder 1 for a treat-- mentapparatus according to the invention. The bladder may be designed as a closed, rectangular rubber bag of for example 12 by. 27 cm. The bladder may consist of any suitable material, for instance plastic. In one corner on inlet is provided in the form of a rubber tube 2,, in which a nipple 3 may be inserted which in t l 1e figure for he sake of perspicuity is shown slightly re- Patented Jan. 10, 1961' intended for being inserted with its grooved end into a rubber tube 6 which forms part of the air supply means and is connected with a tube 7 of rigid material, inside which are mounted a rubber tube 8 and an opening member 9 which lies so as to be in contact with the outside of the rubber tube 8 and the inside of the tube 7. The opening member 9 is provided with a part 10 which projects out through an opening in the tube 7 and which, when subjected to a pressure in the direction in towards the axis of the tube 7, lets the air escape, it an elevated pressure prevails inside the tube 7.

An elevated pressure can be provided by means of a pump formed by a rubber ball 11, which at one end has an inlet opening 12 blocked by a valve 13, for example a rubber disc, which, when subjected to a pressure from inside the ball, rests against a seat and blocks the air passage, while in the case of a vacuum inside the ball it is released from the seat and permits an inflow of air. The air supply is obtained from the atmosphere. The ball 11 is furthermore provided with an air outlet which is in communication with the tube 7 and in which a valve 14 is mounted corresponding to the valve 13, but so directed that it opens in case of an elevated pressure in the ball 11 and closes at vacuum.

Instead of the valves described, a ball valve like that shown in Fig. 4 can be used, which consists of a body 15' with a bowl-shaped valve seat 16, a valve body 17 in the form of a ball and an opening member formed by a pressure plate 18 which by means of a pressure rod 19 guided by a cylindrical guiding body 20 can lift the ball 17 from its seat 16, so that a passage of air in the direction from above and downwards is made possible. The upper end of the valve is to be connected with the rubber tube 2 in Fig. 1, while its lower end can be connected with an air pump or a similar air supply member through a rubber hose pulled in over the pressure plate 18, so that the latter is operated through the wall of the rubber tube.

The cover 21 shown in Fig. 2 is rectangular and con.- sists of non-resilient or inelastic material which along the two rims, which are to touch or at any rate be adjacent when the cover is put around the bladder 1, is provided with tightening means in the form of tape 22. It may be expedient instead of tape to use straps and buckles with a view to being at any time able to adjust to a certain value the diameter of the cylindrical body which the cover forms, when it is put around the bladder and this is inflated.

For the purpose of effecting a heat treatment simultaneously with the mechanical treatment of the spinal column, a heating body may be provided, for example between the bladder 1 and the cover 21. It is, however, also possible to use a heating element incorporated in the cover proper, as indicated in Fig. 2 by the line 23 which terminates in a supply lead 24 which can be connected to an electric current source, possibly with an inserted regulation transformer or regulation resistance which, if' it be desired, may be thermostatically controlled, in which case the cover also contains a thermosensitive control member.

When the treatment apparatus is to housed, the cover 21 is placed around the-bladder 1, the tightening means 22 being assembled and adjusted to a value corresponding to the lordosis desired, and next the bladder 1 is inflated, for example by the use of'the pumping device shown in Fig. 3, the nipple of which being with its conical end inserted into the conical passage opening in the nipple 3 which is inserted in the rubber tube 2.

When by pumping thetreatment apparatus has assumed the degree of firmness desired, the rubber'hose 2 can be compressed and the nipple 5 removed from the nipple 3 and substituted by the plug 4.

If a dynamic treatment of the patient be desired, the pumping device may be left in connection with the bladder, and the patient can then even himself inflate the deflated apparatus, which is placed in position for treatment, and thereupon by exerting pressures on the operation member release air from the bladder and inflate it once more by means of the ball 11, so that his back is subjected to a kind of massage, working contracted muscles to relax. At the same time the spinal column is subjected to a mechanical treatment which can contribute to altering for example the internal pressure conditions which keep discus vertebralis forced out in an incomplete or only threatening prolapse The treatment apparatus also, in the case of pains in the back, ensures the possibility of performing and adjustment by means of the ball 11 into the position which is the least painful.

The invention is in the foregoing described with reference to the rather diagrammatical embodiment example shown on the drawing, but it is obvious that the invention may be applied in connection with other embodiments, for example where the bladder 1 has 1n advance a cylindrical shape, or where a special adjustment device 15 provided which permits the maximum d1ameter of the treatment apparatus to be adjusted after the inflation.

I claim:

1. A treatment apparatus for static or dynamic treatment of the spinal column of a patient compnsing an enclosing cover of inextensible material, an inflatable bladder therein and an electrical resistance heating element coextensive with said bladder and enclosed within said cover, means for adjusting to diflerent values the diameter of said cover when the enclosed bladder is inflated, said bladder having a tube connection in communication with another deflatable air container having communication with the atmosphere, and having valve means in the tube connection operable by the patient to vary the pressure within the bladder, said bladder, cover, tube and valve means forming a closed system.

2. A treatment apparatus for static or dynamic treatment of the spinal column of a patient comprising an enclosing cover of inextensible material, an inflatable bladder therein and an electrical resistance heating element coextensive with said bladder and enclosed within said cover, means for adjusting to different values the diameter of said cover when the enclosed bladder is inflated, said bladder having a tube connection in communication with a bellows actuated by the patient himself, and said cover, bladder, tube and bellows forming a closed system.

1,646,590 Mildenberg Oct. 25, 1927 1,716,145 Moudry June 4, 1929 ,045,750 Buschenfeldt June 30, 1936 ,198,989 Cooley Apr. 30, 1940 2,355,757 Spanel Aug. 15, 1944 ,437,006 Simpson Mar. 2, 1948 99.045 Walker et al. Feb. 28, 1950 21,530 McGufiage Sept. 5, 1950 2, 84,672 Summerville July 27, 1954 9 ,395 Brown Nov. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 32,033 France Feb. 10, 1930 1,015,989 France Aug. 13, 1952 ,440 France June 3, 1953 51,754 France Sept. 23, 1953 7 Great Britain Mar. 17, 1911 Of 1911 373,743 Germany Apr. 16, 1923 5 Germany. Feb. 10, 1931 

